Customers lash out at husband of accused ticket scammer

Customers of a woman charged with selling bogus tickets showed up for her first court appearance Wednesday and ended up facing off with her husband at the courthouse.

Angela Formica faces six charges in connection to the bogus tickets, and some of her customers said her husband was there when the tickets were sold.

Last week, the Channel 4 I-Team arranged for Formica to think she was meeting with a new customer, but instead it was chief investigative reporter Jeremy Finley. Once Formica realized who she was speaking to, she walked away and said that the customers bought the tickets at their own risk.

Formica was arrested the same day our investigation aired.

When Formica left court to go back to jail Wednesday, she smiled broadly at her husband and blew him a kiss.

"Seeing her prance in there, all happy and blowing kisses made me very angry," said customer Bobby Lea Stewart.

Stewart was among the customers who had harsh words for Ryan Formica after court.

Some of the customers said he was there when the bogus tickets were sold and even provided a license to prove that he could sell things downtown. At closer inspection, that license expired last year, long before the tickets were sold.

"I'm out $320 because you all took advantage of me," Stewart said to Ryan Formica.

The Channel 4 I-Team had questions for Ryan Formica, too.

"How did all these people get tickets - the exact same tickets - that your wife sold them?" Finley asked.

"Uh, OK, my wife did sell some bad tickets. I'm saying there are other people involved as well," Ryan Formica said.

And the Channel 4 I-Team also uncovered that Angela Formica isn't the only one who's gone to jail over this.

Gary Sims bought a copy of the same ticket to the George Strait farewell concert that several of the other customers bought with the same order number and same seat.

But when he couldn't go, he sold it to a Kentucky woman. And when that woman showed up at the concert and couldn't get in, she filed charges against Sims for theft by deception.

Last week, deputies showed up at Sims door, and he was arrested.

"I'm just astounded and dumbfounded that it's got to this point," Sims said.

Sims went to jail for two nights before bonding out. Sims took the Channel 4 I-Team's story to the judge, and the charges were dismissed.

The Channel 4 I-Team told Ryan Formica about Sims' ordeal.

"He [Sims] was then arrested for selling bad tickets. He spent two days in jail. This is a huge mess," Finley said.

"Yeah, I know," Ryan Formica said.

"What do you say to all these people? They're obviously victims," Finley said.

"It's terrible. I'm sorry," Ryan Formica said.

One of the customers said he even made Ryan and Angela Formica sign a document, swearing to refund the tickets if they were no good.

"What was she [Angela Formica] doing? What was she selling?" Finley asked.